Will fear govern our neighborhoods?

Someone in a position to know has finally said it: Michigan's neighborhoods may become unsafe.

This ought to be of concern to an increasingly older populace.

The source of the observation is no less than Attorney General Bill Schuette, Michigan's chief law enforcement official.

Picture yourself 10 or 20 years from now -- or whenever it is you expect to retire.

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Will there be enough police officers to adequately patrol your neighborhood?

If you discover someone trying to enter your home, how long will it take police to respond -- if you are able to get to your cell phone?

Will grandmothers be afraid of walking their grandchildren through the streets? Will senior citizens become afraid to leave their homes?

"That kind of fear does exist," said John Sellek, a spokesman for Schuette.

Is this scare-mongering?

Well, Schuette points out that Michigan faces the double tragedy of losing more than 3,200 law enforcement officers since 9/11, while also being home to four of America's top 10 most violent cities.

Oakland County seat Pontiac is one of the four cities -- and criminals don't respect geographic boundaries.

Schuette has called for the addition of at least 1,000 new cops in communities statewide. He said the officers could be funded by the Legislature with approximately $140 million of Michigan's current budget surplus of nearly $450 million.

Senior citizens are quickly becoming one of criminals' prime targets, both of violent crime and fraud, Sellek said. Without adequate law enforcement, there will be no way to investigate scams and educate seniors.

Auburn Hills has seen its number of police officers decline from 59 in 2007 to 49 now.

"And we're a fiscally sound city," Olko said.

Because of early releases of prisoners to cut costs at Michigan prisons, the city has "more felons on our streets," she said. In addition, the decline in funding for mental health services leaves police officers as the only people left to deal with such problems.

"We need more police officers," Olko said.

She also noted that with reductions in pension benefits, officers will have to work longer, leading to an older workforce -- not necessarily a good thing in such a highly demanding physical job.

"I'd like to see future citizens have as many tools -- transparency, metrics, public dialogue -- as possible to ensure that the debate of priorities in spending of tax monies can be as clear, focused and productive as possible," McMillin said.

And he is not particularly worried about safety in the communities he represents.

"Based on history, I think Rochester, Rochester Hills and Oakland Township do a good job prioritizing public safety dollars," McMillin said.

Barnett, a former mayor of Farmington Hills, also questioned the funding, pointing out that the surplus is a one-time source of money. It would be better if the state restored revenue-sharing fund to local communities, she said.

Schuette also proposed legislation known as VO-4 that targets the worst repeat violent offenders by establishing a minimum prison sentence of at least 25 years for criminals convicted of a serious violent crime after already being convicted of any three prior felony convictions. The result would be that serious, violent repeat offenders would be lodged in prison in order to stop the severely damaging and incredibly expensive repeat violent crimes that negatively affect Michigan families and the state's ability to fully recover, Schuette said.

But Barnett pointed out that Michigan's current mandatory sentencing guidelines have already led to Michigan having a higher incarceration rate than any of its neighboring states, and that places a burden on the state budget.

In any case, it's all food for thought and a subject that requires long-term thinking. The idea of living in an unsafe neighborhood is unsettling.

Glenn Gilbert is executive editor of The Oakland Press. Contact him at glenn.gilbert@oakpress.com or 248-745-4587. Follow him on Twitter @glenngilbert2.